'It's a foul stink today, isn't it? The
river, I mean.'
'The tide's coming in. It doesn't smell once
the mud gets covered over.' Fern fingers the
glass treasure and then spins it out towards the
slinking water. It falls short, vanishing beneath
the liquid mud. 'That glass will keep sinking
and sinking and sinking. All the way to the
middle of the earth.' She pictures the glass
sliding down, gathering slime.
'The middle of the earth?'
'Well – a long way anyway. I watched a dog
get sucked down there once. Its body was never
found. Gone forever. It's terrible to think
about, isn't it?'
'Terrible,' says Alix.
'Aaron . . . ' Fern turns to Alix, fumbling
through questions in her mind. Is it all right to ask
about him? Is it all right to look 'too keen' to
someone's sister? '. . . is – is he still at your place?'
Alix sounds bored. 'He went early. They all
did. They had a match.'
'Oh. Right.' Fern gets a dropping down
feeling. Sinking and sinking and sinking.
'I came to ask you something.' Alix seems to
switch back into a brighter mood.
Fern feels a fresh rush of heat. Has he sent
Alix with a message?
'I got some vouchers. Virgin Records. I
wondered if you fancied a drive into town so I
can spend them?'
Fern turns back towards the river. The yellow jacket
guests are under way now, already some
distance off. The sun splashes down onto the
water, sparking it with silver. Close by two swans
glide, one behind the other. Even a day ago this
would have been brilliant – the whole thing of
Alix driving over to ask if she'd go shopping.
Today it feels flat. A 'nothing' thing to do.
'Fern – did you hear me?'
Fern looks round at her slowly. She doesn't
want to go shopping. Not today. She wants to
lie in her room with the curtains closed and to
try not to think. The dinghy has stopped
moving, the guests dropping the anchor over
the sides. They'll be all right now. She doesn't
need to keep a check on them anymore.
'I've got loads of food left too. A whole bowl
of chilli. I thought you might want to come back
and help me eat it after we've shopped?
Courtney's already said she's up for it.'
Fern thinks Alix's blue blue eyes are painful
to see.
'Fern – stop it. You're staring at me like a
zombie. Do you want to come with me or not?'
Alix is spinning her car keys round and round
her finger. Fern still tumbles up endless
questions about Aaron, and knows suddenly
that she'll never have the courage to ask them.
She won't want to risk him ever finding out she
was too keen. The whole Aaron dream drops
away. Of course he wouldn't be interested.
There must be a million girls after him at
Surrey or Sunbury or wherever it is.
She rushes out a smile. Alix has driven over
because she wanted to check she was all right.
She wants to go shopping with her. She's invited
her to dinner tonight. Fern should be grateful
for all these things. 'Sorry. I sort of switched off
then. Yes. I'd love a trip into town. Thanks.'
Alix smiles back. The sun shimmies her hair
with a soft gold halo. Fern thinks she looks like
an angel. She could never really say no to Alix.
* * *
'H OW WAS WORK?'
'Boring.' Courtney watches Mum scrub
down the new granite worktops in the kitchen,
scouring them over and over again. She
wonders whether kitchen surfaces can erode
over time, like cliffs worn down by the sea.
Except they won't keep the kitchen that long.
Mum changes décor like most people change
underwear.
'Dad wants a roast tonight.' Mum
straightens up, smoothes down her sleek
bobbed hair, and glances at the clock on the
cooker. 'He's out on the bikes with the boys at
the moment. Can you do the veggies for me? I
want to get the carpets vacuumed before they
come back.'
Courtney opens the larder and pulls out a
bag of potatoes, then empties them into the
bowl by the sink. 'I'm not here for dinner
though. I'm going over to Alix's. There's some
food from last night to finish up.'
Mum passes her the vegetable knife, her
mouth a thin line of disapproval.
river, I mean.'
'The tide's coming in. It doesn't smell once
the mud gets covered over.' Fern fingers the
glass treasure and then spins it out towards the
slinking water. It falls short, vanishing beneath
the liquid mud. 'That glass will keep sinking
and sinking and sinking. All the way to the
middle of the earth.' She pictures the glass
sliding down, gathering slime.
'The middle of the earth?'
'Well – a long way anyway. I watched a dog
get sucked down there once. Its body was never
found. Gone forever. It's terrible to think
about, isn't it?'
'Terrible,' says Alix.
'Aaron . . . ' Fern turns to Alix, fumbling
through questions in her mind. Is it all right to ask
about him? Is it all right to look 'too keen' to
someone's sister? '. . . is – is he still at your place?'
Alix sounds bored. 'He went early. They all
did. They had a match.'
'Oh. Right.' Fern gets a dropping down
feeling. Sinking and sinking and sinking.
'I came to ask you something.' Alix seems to
switch back into a brighter mood.
Fern feels a fresh rush of heat. Has he sent
Alix with a message?
'I got some vouchers. Virgin Records. I
wondered if you fancied a drive into town so I
can spend them?'
Fern turns back towards the river. The yellow jacket
guests are under way now, already some
distance off. The sun splashes down onto the
water, sparking it with silver. Close by two swans
glide, one behind the other. Even a day ago this
would have been brilliant – the whole thing of
Alix driving over to ask if she'd go shopping.
Today it feels flat. A 'nothing' thing to do.
'Fern – did you hear me?'
Fern looks round at her slowly. She doesn't
want to go shopping. Not today. She wants to
lie in her room with the curtains closed and to
try not to think. The dinghy has stopped
moving, the guests dropping the anchor over
the sides. They'll be all right now. She doesn't
need to keep a check on them anymore.
'I've got loads of food left too. A whole bowl
of chilli. I thought you might want to come back
and help me eat it after we've shopped?
Courtney's already said she's up for it.'
Fern thinks Alix's blue blue eyes are painful
to see.
'Fern – stop it. You're staring at me like a
zombie. Do you want to come with me or not?'
Alix is spinning her car keys round and round
her finger. Fern still tumbles up endless
questions about Aaron, and knows suddenly
that she'll never have the courage to ask them.
She won't want to risk him ever finding out she
was too keen. The whole Aaron dream drops
away. Of course he wouldn't be interested.
There must be a million girls after him at
Surrey or Sunbury or wherever it is.
She rushes out a smile. Alix has driven over
because she wanted to check she was all right.
She wants to go shopping with her. She's invited
her to dinner tonight. Fern should be grateful
for all these things. 'Sorry. I sort of switched off
then. Yes. I'd love a trip into town. Thanks.'
Alix smiles back. The sun shimmies her hair
with a soft gold halo. Fern thinks she looks like
an angel. She could never really say no to Alix.
* * *
'H OW WAS WORK?'
'Boring.' Courtney watches Mum scrub
down the new granite worktops in the kitchen,
scouring them over and over again. She
wonders whether kitchen surfaces can erode
over time, like cliffs worn down by the sea.
Except they won't keep the kitchen that long.
Mum changes décor like most people change
underwear.
'Dad wants a roast tonight.' Mum
straightens up, smoothes down her sleek
bobbed hair, and glances at the clock on the
cooker. 'He's out on the bikes with the boys at
the moment. Can you do the veggies for me? I
want to get the carpets vacuumed before they
come back.'
Courtney opens the larder and pulls out a
bag of potatoes, then empties them into the
bowl by the sink. 'I'm not here for dinner
though. I'm going over to Alix's. There's some
food from last night to finish up.'
Mum passes her the vegetable knife, her
mouth a thin line of disapproval.
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